The Sting of Loss
by HoeginzHero
Summary: After Naruto returns from training with Jiraiya, he goes on a mission with Sakura. He is forced to engage with 3 of the strongest fighters in the world. Rated T for Violence and Gore. Please review, I haven't received any feedback!


**Naruto: The Sting of Loss**

Original Naruto story my Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto could still hear the 5th Hokage's voice in his head as he passed the gate of the Leaf Village.

" Naruto, you and Sakura are being sent on a mission, so listen carefully. You will be escorting a man to the village hidden in the stone. Plan to be ambushed, for he is a wealthy man named Honda. Leave immediately!"

Both Naruto and Sakura were remembering their last escort mission, as they continued toward their destination. Honda nervously looked for any signs of an ambush.

" Don't worry, we've done this before," Sakura reassured him. " I have barely ever left my village, so I'm nervous at all the new sounds," replied Honda.

As they set up camp, Naruto surveyed what supplies he had in his bag. A handful of kunai, shuriken, and some food pills. Sakura explained the situation.

" We're a day outside of the village, and I expect to be ambushed some time tomorrow, so be on your toes."

A shuriken ricocheted through the trees, and ripped through Naruto's flesh into his abdomen. As he tenderly jumped back, he did the Shadow clone jutsu.

" Protect Honda!" Naruto shouted at his clones, as Sakura began healing his wound.

Five of his ten clones charged toward the shuriken's direction. One of them unleashed a Rasengan through a tree, and blew open a clearing, revealing the attacker. Jumping up through the ground, a clone uppercutted the man into the air. He barely looked up in time to see himself rising before a clone grabbed his feet and slammed him back into the ground.

Sakura stepped over him and unleashed a barrage of fists into his stomach, plowing a crater five feet deep into the ground.

POOF! The fully healed Naruto released his clones, and pulled the cowering Honda to his feet.

Naruto then lifted the assailant to his feet. He was wearing a hood, hiding his face.

" Why did you attack us?" interrogated Naruto.

The man spit in Naruto's face. " Wouldn't you like to know." He crumbled into sand between Naruto's fingers.

" A sand clone," said Sakura, " meaning the real one isn't too far away."

" Help, I can't move!" cried Honda. " I'll be right there," said Naruto. He tried to move his feet, but couldn't move them an inch. Looking down, he saw that their feet were underneath the hardened ground.

In the trees, a group of men watched what was occurring.

" Your plan worked wonderfully. Should we move in sir?" " Yes, but keep them alive."

Sakura threw a kunai towards the nearest tree. A man caught it in mid-air and stepped to the front of the tree. He was instantly accompanied by 5 other men.

" You should watch where you throw those, you could hurt somebody." the man spoke. " I would hate to be you right now," said Sakura. " And why is that?" She shook her head. " You're about to be in a lot of pain."

BOOM! The paper bomb around the kunai exploded and burned the man's right arm off. He fell onto the ground in a ball of pain. The other five men charged them. Naruto and Sakura simultaneously directed chakra to their feet, and broke free of the quicksand.

The nearest man was sent flying by Sakura's punch, as Naruto did his hand signs. " Summoning jutsu!"

Gamatatsu, the happy yellow toad, appeared. " Hi everybody, is this a party? I love parties." " Not you again" whined Naruto.

He grabbed Gamatatsu and launched him into a man's face, sending them spiraling to the ground. " I'm getting dizzy."

Sakura glared at the remaining three men, and they ran for the hills. She walked over to Honda, put chakra into her hands, and freed his feet.

" Let's try to get some rest, we have a big day tomorrow," she said. Naruto quickly dismissed Gamatatsu.

Naruto yawned as the group headed off the next day.

" What luck," he said to Honda, " two attacks within a couple of minutes." " I was as surprised as you," he said, once more searching the trees for danger.

They made it to the top of a tall hill, and, in the distance, could see the village hidden in the stone. There was little life in the city, and a huge tower took up most of it.

Naruto couldn't help but gape at the size of the tower.

" Who owns that building?" said Sakura, taking the words out of Naruto's mouth. " That is my home," Honda proudly stated.

" Wow, you really are rich!" exclaimed Naruto.

" We should get going," said Sakura. " We can be there in less than an hour if we hurry."

Naruto knelt down to grab his bag, and when he looked up, there was a man in the road.

" You again?" said Naruto, " We're getting tired of beating you thugs." " Don't mock me, boy," he cautioned. He was wearing a black outfit, and a mask to hide his face.

" I am not associated with those weaklings, I am by far their superior, and yours. My name is Daichi, the earth ninja."

" Stone clone Jutsu!" A replica made out of rocks appeared next to Daichi. The clone charged forward, with Daichi at his heels.

Sakura slammed her fist into the clone, and dusts and rocks flew up in a cloud. Naruto threw a kunai at Daichi, and it went right through him. Without slowing down, he threw a fist through Naruto's face. The hologram passed through him and exploded into a cloud of sand.

When the cloud passed, Daichi had a kunai against Honda's throat. " Don't move, or he dies." he commanded. " Drop all of your weapons, now!"

Naruto started unhooking his pack, but Sakura didn't bat an eye. Instead, she pulled out a shuriken.

" I said drop it!" " You wont touch him," said Sakura. " And why not?" he questioned. " Because he works for you." Sakura aimed the kunai at Honda's foot, and watched. It stuck into his flesh, and he cried out in pain.

Sakura couldn't believe she had miscalculated this badly.

" Not so smart, are you?" Daichi mocked. An elbow smashed into the back of Sakura's head, as she slipped into darkness. Daichi grabbed the unconscious Sakura and took off towards the village.

Naruto was about to pursue, when a burning pain exploded in his side. Honda stood over him, holding a bloodied kunai in hand. " She was right all along, I work for him. And Daichi works for Lord Orochimaru."

Honda took off after Daichi on a perfectly healed foot. Naruto roared in anger as he ran after Honda_. I have to save Sakura _thought Naruto_. _He wasn't going to lose another friend, especially to Orochimaru.

Naruto tumbled to the ground as his foot caught a wire. A flurry of shuriken and kunai unleashed from the trees. " Shadow clone jutsu!" Clones appeared on all sides of Naruto, just barely in time to take the strikes. He charged forward, closing the gap that seemed to go on forever.

Daichi reached the tower's peak. He had obtained the prize of which they sought. The key to Orochimaru's goal.

Orochimaru knew Tsunade wouldn't heal his arms, so he wanted her apprentice, whose potential at healing was just being tapped.

Daichi's only goal now was to wait until Orochimaru extracted her. He just hoped Honda could delay the orange kid.

WHOOOOOOSSSHHH! Honda came to a screeching halt. A kunai pierced the ground in front of him. As he turned, he found what he expected.

Naruto said, " I'll give you one chance to get out of my way." Honda flashed a fiendish smile. " Try to make me."

As the words left his mouth, Naruto made a single hand sign. BOOM! The chakra filled kunai unleashed its energy and threw Honda directly at Naruto.

Naruto jumped at Honda, and let loose all of his anger as his fist crashed into Honada's jaw. He banged his head violently into a rock jutting out of the ground. As he continued running down the path, he said " I'll save you Sakura, believe it."

" Rock prison jutsu!" Daichi quickly raised a cell of stones around Sakura as she stirred awake.

" I know of your strength, but even you can't break this prison. It's harder than steel." Dents began to appear on all parts of the barrier, but it didn't crack. He breathed a sigh of relief, his guess proving to be true.

Daichi estimated it would only take Orochimaru 3 hours to retrieve her, and his praise would go to him.

The tower door flew from its hinges. Naruto stepped in triumphantly.

"SAKURA!" Naruto yelled as he raced up the steps. As he stepped onto the first floor, an intercom interrupted his thoughts.

" You've done good to get this far, but this tower will be your grave. We have gathered together the strongest men in the world in this spot. Try not to die though. I would like to kill you myself."

A little man with overalls, a bright red shirt, and a hat with an M on it stepped out from behind the corner.

" It's a Mario!" he shouted with glee, as he launched a flower fire ball at Naruto. Naruto quickly dodged, and threw a shuriken in retaliation. Mario grabbed a glowing, yellow star, and the shuriken merely bounced off.

Naruto didn't understand what was going on, but he wasn't going to lose to a little red freak. He swept Mario off his feet, and kicked him straight up. Naruto kicked him in the spine, and sent him spiraling to the ground.

Mario jumped back up happily. Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. He was pushed to this. He charged up a Rasengan. Mario just stood there and smiled.

" You wont be smiling for long!" Naruto bellowed. He ran at Mario. When he was within five feet, Mario's yellow glow, and confidence disappeared. Naruto's Rasengan smashed Mario out the wall and into the streets below.

The steps were taken two at a time as Naruto reached the second floor. Master Chief stood waiting for him. He drew his pistol.

A bullet skimmed across Naruto's left arm.

" It will take more than that pea shooter to take me down," Naruto said. Master chief pulled out an energy sword.

" Bring it," challenged Naruto. Master chief wordlessly charged Naruto. He jabbed the sword at his gut.

Blood splattered onto Master chief visor as Naruto collapsed onto the ground in pain. POOF!

The real Naruto kicked the Chief in the back and sent him skidding across the ground. A kunai flew towards the chief.

In mid-slide, the chief turned and threw a plasma grenade onto the kunai. It hit its mark, but so did the kunai. BOOM!

Naruto left the lifeless corpse where it was, as exhaustion began to creep up on him. But he couldn't rest yet. Just a little further.

As he headed towards the stairs, something caught his eye. A metal door opened before him.

" An elevator!" shrieked Naruto. " I wasted all that time!" He stepped in and looked at the hundreds of buttons. He hit a random button, and hoped for the best.

As he raced upwards, he wondered who he would have to face next. The elevator stopped, and the door opened. There was no one there.

He gingerly stepped out the door, when it shut instantly. Naruto looked around in panic. The sound of clapping brought Naruto back to the present.

A man wearing a red jacket stood before Naruto. He had white hair, a gun in his right hand, and a sword in his left, hung across his shoulder.

" Name's Dante. I'm a demon slayer, and word is you are one. Lets see if that's true."

As Dante raised his gun, the nine-tailed fox in Naruto raged.

Dante shot a bullet at Naruto. He yelled, and unleashed the fox's chakra. The bullet disintegrated before it even thought of striking him.

" This should be fun." said Dante. He put his gun back in the holster, and grabbed the sword in both hands. Dante jumped into the air.

" Multi-Shadow clone jutsu!" Two clones appeared next to Naruto. The clones threw Naruto as he unsheathed a kunai.

Dante stuck his blade forward, to slash through him. Another clone jutsu was activated, and the real Naruto pushed off of the clones back.

The sword jabbed into the clone as Naruto jumped up and out of the way. When Dante slammed into the ground, Naruto directed himself downwards. Using his momentum, he stabbed Dante, and the kunai passed completely through him. His head slumped forward.

As Naruto pulled his hands out of Dante's stomach, he felt two hands grab them. Dante had a devilish smile on his face, as he head butted Naruto. He kicked Naruto up into the air.

The two clones from before charged, but were slashed to ribbons. Dante followed up by vaulting after Naruto. He smashed his shoulder into Naruto, and sent him soaring out the window.

As Naruto plummeted towards the ground, he threw a kunai towards the tower. It stuck into the wall, and the wire he had secured to it whip-lashed him to a halt.

He concentrated his chakra, and climbed up the wall. Dante's back was to him as he climbed back through the window.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Gamatatsu appeared again, with the same geeky smile on his face. Naruto, remembering his fight with Kiba, reached into his pack for a food pill. He tossed it to Gamatatsu, and he caught it in his mouth.

" Wow, I feel weird," said Gamatatsu.

He grew bigger, until he was 7 feet tall, and 8 feet wide. He was frothing from the mouth, and spikes grew out of his sides.

" Sick him!" yelled Naruto. Gamatatsu wrapped his tongue around Dante and swallowed him whole. He crushed him from the inside. Gamatatsu spit out a sword and a gun.

Naruto dismissed the toad, and swallowed a food pill for himself. _No more messing around, _thought Naruto.

He jumped out of the window, and started running up the wall. Naruto ran up to the top floor, and broke through the window.

There was a circle of rocks in the center of the room. It was filled with dents. Naruto could feel that Sakura was in there.

" Sakura," he called, " move to the back of the rocks."

Naruto unleashed a Rasengan into the side, and broke through almost all of the rock. A fist busted through from the inside, and blew out the rest.

Just as Sakura was climbing out, Daichi appeared before them.

" Playing hero, are we?" said Daichi. He had a faint smile on his face. " This is what I've been waiting for."

" Same here," said Naruto. " We're going to kick your butt."

Sakura couldn't help but admire Naruto. She pulled her gloves on. " Lets get him."

Sakura grabbed a boulder from the broken prison, and chucked it at Daichi.

Daichi raised his left arm up. " Earth wall jutsu."

A pillar of stone raised from the floor, and blocked the boulders path. Sakura charged the wall, and slammed her fist into it. Half of it blew off, but it still held.

" Collapse!" With a single handsign, the rocks from the wall fell freely.

Sakura looked up in surprise. The rocks piled on top of her, and slammed her to the ground.

" Sakura!" yelled Naruto. He pushed off the ground, and sprinted towards Daichi.

Daichi smashed his foot into the ground. An earthquake caught Naruto, and brought him to his knees.

" Stalagmite Launch." Naruto pushed himself backwards, as 4 foot long spikes jutted out of the ground. " Earth Shuriken."

A volley of shuriken made of stone shot out of the spikes. They lodged into Naruto's chest, as he let out a cry of pain.

Daichi's eyes watered as an enormous force crashed into his head. Sakura followed up her punch with a knee to the chin.

When Daichi hit the wall, Naruto dislodged the shuriken from his aching body. He was getting tired of fighting this maniac. " Sakura, I've got a plan."

Daichi couldn't believe his eyes. _I must be hallucinating_. He shook his head. No, they were still there. Hundreds of Naruto's and Sakura's were lining the walls.

" Time to end this game." " Earth Release: Servant of the Earth jutsu!" A 20 foot tall Golem raised from the ground, his head cracking through the ceiling. The building crashed down three floors from the added weight. Daichi stood proudly atop its head.

With a sweep of the golem's arm, he took out half of the clone army. As he brought his right arm around a second time, Sakura's fist crumbled three of his fingers.

The golem bellowed a battle cry, as he smashed his left fist onto a group of Sakura's. The real Sakura caught the golem's fist, and dropped it as she rolled out of it's path. She snapped a kick into the wrist, and shattered it.

" This is impossible!" fumed Daichi. His next command was leaving his lips, as he sidestepped to the left. Naruto went flying past, and landed against the rock wall.

_Uh - oh, _thought Naruto, as the golem's fist closed around him. It started crushing him, with incredible strength.

Fiery pain engulfed his entire being. Wave after wave of pain consumed him, as he screamed in agony. He heard his right arm snap, as his fear caught up with him.

The fox's chakra poured through him, and disintegrated the golem's fist. His right arm was suddenly healed, as he faced the adversary. The golem had no hands, and was about to fall, when Daichi pressed the attack.

" Earth style: stone reconnection!" Rocks flew up from the streets, and restored the golem to it's original self.

" Destroy them all, now!" The golem jumped up, and belly flopped onto the entire army of clones, Naruto, and Sakura. The foundation of the building shook, and dropped another story.

" Perfect opening, Summoning Jutsu: Bringing down the house!" As Naruto slammed his bloodied hand down, Gamabunta came crashing down onto the Golem's spine. Daichi jumped off, and landed onto the small section of the building not destroyed.

Naruto approached Daichi with vengeance in his eye's.

" While Chief toad has your pet under control, I'll take out the trash."

Naruto pulled forth all of his remaining strength into his right hand. He charged at Daichi, with blood lust radiating of off his eyes.

Daichi did his hand signs, as Naruto charged. " Earth wall jutsu." _He'll never make it through that_, thought Daichi.

One of Naruto's clone's slammed Daichi into the wall, as the Rasengan broke through the wall. By merely touching Daichi's flesh, it sent him spinning into the nearest building. He soared through it, and snapped his head into the next one.

BOOM! A crater formed as Daichi's 13 story fall ended.

" Sakura, I did it!" cheered Naruto. " I think not."

An extremely sharp sword was stuck underneath his chin.

" Orochimaru," Naruto said with disgust. " Indeed, but I'm not interested with you at the moment." He stared at Sakura.

" How would you like to see Sasuke again, my dear?"

Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Oh, how she wanted to. "All you have to do is come with me," said Orochimaru.

" NO SAKURA!" screamed Naruto. " I want to see him as much as you, but Orochimaru is lying."

Sakura shook her head. " He's right, I wont go." " I will ask you once more nicely, but after that I will kill Sasuke and this annoying brat."

She closed her eyes. Sakura couldn't let them both die.

" Lets go."

Orochimaru's chopped Naruto in the back of the head, and he slipped into the dark abyss. " Then lets begin our journey, my dear."

To be continued…


End file.
